God's Righteousness is Revealed Apart from the Law
Thinking about Romans 3:21-22.
But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. (Romans 3:21-22)
Paul made the point in Romans 1:17 that the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
After showing that the Jew is just as guilty of sin before God as the Gentile, Paul explains God’s righteous plan to justify sinful humanity.
The apostle has just concluded that ALL men have come under the condemnation of sin because they couldn’t justify themselves in the sight of the law. That whole section [Romans 1:18-3:20] spoke of CONDEMNATION. The section we’ve now entered (3:21-5:21) speaks of JUSTIFICATION. The former section told of the NEED or the PROBLEM. This section speaks of the REMEDY of the SOLUTION. - McGuiggan, Romans, 123
And so we begin to explore the greatest remedy the world will ever know for the greatest problem the world will ever have.
God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the law.
This is not the “righteousness” that we have, as is usually suggested in Protestantism. The focus is not our personal righteousness, but rather it is the justice and right acting of God on our behalf to make salvation possible. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 118
God’s righteousness or “right acting” is “revealed” or “manifested” apart from the law. Paul just described in previous verses (Romans 3:19-20) that the law does not justify - the law merely points out sin and passes judgment upon the sinner.
God’s righteousness in justifying sinners is made fully known apart from the law - for the law could only condemn the sinner.
The Law and the Prophets are witnesses to God’s righteousness.
Paul is quick to point out that while God’s righteousness is revealed apart from the law, that doesn’t mean that it is something “new.”
The Law and the Prophets stood as witnesses to God’s righteousness in what He would do through Jesus Christ.
The apostle certainly did not want the gospel he preached to be seen by the Judaizing Christians at Rome as some new, innovative departure from its Old Testament roots. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 119
The sacrifice of Jesus Christ (Psalm 22) and the new covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:8-12) are spoken of throughout the Old Testament.
The prophets bore witness to the truth of justification by faith apart from the works of the law. This can be seen in Habakkuk 2:4; Psalm 32:1ff; Genesis 15:6 and elsewhere. - McGuiggan, Romans, 124
The gospel was God’s plan all along, as Paul has already emphasized.
God’s righteousness is revealed through faith in Jesus Christ.
The righteousness of God is manifested by the faith (or faithfulness) of Christ in going to the cross and trusting in God. Jesus, in His humanity, exhibited faith in the garden before His death by accepting God’s will (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44), trusting and believing that God would work it all out and eventually vindicate Him. This God did by raising Him from the dead (Acts 3:15; 4:10; 13:30, 34; Hebrews 5:7). It is this faith that shows God to be righteous, and not anything that sinful man can do. Instead, we are to have the same kind of faith Christ had - that unwavering, trusting faith in God. - Pollard, Truth for Today Commentary, 121
It’s in what Jesus has done on the cross for sinful humanity that God’s righteousness is completely revealed “apart from the law.”
Those who desire to stand justified before God will not be able to do so on their own record - for all have sinned (Romans 3:23). Jesus Christ is the only way sinful people can be justified.